Canada

Initially, I thought the tour had too much time at ‘The Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise’ considering the limited options due to the weather at this time of year. I ended up being grateful for the two nights and day and a half. Even though it was May in the Canadian Rocky Mountains, and the last

My Rocky Mountaineer tour now continued by coach from Jasper to Lake Louise with a visit to the Columbia Icefield and many scenic stops along the way. We were picked up from our various hotels by our coach driver and tour guide. The Brewster coaches were comfortable and equipped with a toilet at the back

Jasper is a lovely little town within the Jasper National Park, which is one of four national parks that form the Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks World Heritage Site. My accommodation in Jasper overlooked the Rocky Mountains, which I could see from my room’s window along with the railway lines. Jasper National Park does not allow

I was looking forward to this part of the trip, travelling the Rocky Mountaineer train, from Vancouver to Jasper in the Canadian Rocky Mountains, on the ‘Journey through the Clouds’ blue route. It was wonderful just sitting there, watching the scenery go by and being served meals and drinks in the comfort of my seat. This

I liked to just walk around Vancouver, which was easy as there were just cross streets and no steep hills. The city streets were wide with trees and sunlight streaming down. It felt very open. I was surprised that shops were open until 9 pm most nights including many open on Sunday night. I had

I was lucky enough to visit Butchart Gardens in Spring when it was in full flower. At times the scent could be overwhelming. There were many flower beds full of Tulips and an assortment of other flowers. A lot of work has gone into creating and maintaining these beautiful gardens. Flowerbeds: The Sunken garden:

I had 4 days in Vancouver before my Rocky Mountaineer trip and had heard and read that Victoria City and Butchart Gardens on Vancouver Island are a must plus I wanted to know about the First Nations people on the island. I looked at a few 2 day tours but most left you with the

I took the 510 Amtrak Cascades train from Seattle’s downtown King St Station to Vancouver BC’s Pacific Central Station (there is a Vancouver in Washington state, slightly confusing!). The train took 4 hours, the 510 departing at 7:45 am, arriving at 11:45 am. You can check in a bag 45 minutes prior to departure and